Recent developments in communications include a network facsimile connected to a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), which is capable of communicating facsimile data with a facsimile in a prescribed facsimile transmission sequence and transmitting an electronic mail. Such a network facsimile enables communication of image information between a facsimile connected to a public network and a plurality of apparatuses each having a communication function, connected to the LAN or WAN. When a mail address of a network facsimile becomes known, undesirable electronic mail (e.g. junk mail or harassment mail) can be delivered. In such a situation, upon receiving electronic mail while executing a mail transfer instruction, the network facsimile generally prints contents thereof. As a result, normal work can be disturbed and recordation sheets can be wasted.
In order to reduce such inconvenience, a method has been proposed, in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 11-355347, for controlling a network facsimile to designate mail addresses and domains such that only selected electronic mail would be transferred. However, inputting such mail addresses and domains can be burdensome for a user in such a method. Further, if the user erroneously inputs such information, desirable electronic mail may not be received.